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The Rio Grande Valley Sector covers land as big as the state of South Carolina and is monitored by more than 3,000 Border Patrol agents. (Published Wednesday, July 23, 2014)

The stretch of land between Texas and Mexico is a long, bumpy ride for Border Patrol agents.

The Rio Grande Valley Sector covers land as big as the state of South Carolina and is monitored by more than 3,000 agents, along with Texas Game Wardens and Parks and Wildlife officials.

On the Front Lines With the Border Patrol

Congress is working to find a solution to the influx of children and adults crossing the border. Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger revealed a plan requiring spending less money but sending national guard troops. The goal to get people processed in detention centers faster. We sent Ray Villeda to the border to show us exactly what it was like. (Published Wednesday, July 23, 2014)

Together, they're working to prevent the flow of illegal migrants coming from Central America.

The Rio Grande serves as a natural divider, and from the American side you can see clear paths to the water. On the other side, beaten down brush shows where the illegal trek picks up again.

There's an even bigger telltale sign: children's clothing left near the riverbank.

In as few as three weeks, there will be more eyes and ears monitoring the border with National Guard troops on the way. Once they arrive, they will set up observational posts.

While they can't make arrests, the troops will hold on to those crossing the border for border agents.

"There's more manpower on the ground, so we can apprehend these immigrants when they come on north," said Border Patrol agent Joe Gutierrez.

Lately, the added agents are noticing a slowdown. Part of that, they believe, could be an increased media campaign telling Central Americans to stay in their countries, dissuading them from taking the illegal journey.

Gutierrez adds that traffic also tends to slow down at the height of the summer, because the temperatures are so high.

About 220,000 migrants have been captured in this sector alone, Gutierrez said, and less than a quarter of them were unaccompanied children.

Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger said she would like to get the immigrants processed in detention centers faster.

"I've been to those countries and we asked, 'Do you want your children back?' And they said, 'Absolutely.' So we work with them to get those children back safely, get back connected with family from their country of origin, but not keeping them here," Granger said.